Hari Om.
Let us begin the twelfth sarga of the kishkindhA kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
rAma’s inquiry about the cause of the enmity between vAlI and sugrIva led to sugrIva recounting the reason for fallout between the two as well as the valor of vAlI. Accepting a challenge from a demon by name mAyAvI, vAlI chased him all the way into a giant burrow and after fighting him for a year, he killed him. Meanwhile sugrIva who was waiting at the entrance of the cave was growing apprehensive of vAlI’s victory and mistaking the cries of the demons for their victory cries, he closed the cave with a boulder and having returned to kishkindhA, he was coronated by the ministers and the citizens. Meanwhile a triumphant vAlI returned after smashing the boulder that closed the cave and did not approve of sugrIva’s coronation. He attributed it to sugrIva’s intention to eliminate him and rule over the kingdom and even as the younger brother pleaded innocence, he banished him from the kingdom after usurping his wife. vAlI followed it up with tormenting sugrIva wherever he went and thus sugrIva had traveled the earth, something that would prove immensely useful going forward! Then one day, the demon dundubhI assuming a buffalo form challenged vAlI for a combat at the middle of the night. A furious vAlI made short work of him and after smashing him to the ground, he threw his corpse very far away. But as his bad luck would have it, the blood scattered from the dead body of dundubhI fell on the hermitage of sage matanga near the RshyamUka mountain. The sage spelt a curse that whoever did this if they happen to come to the vicinity of his hermitage would die immediately. This curse helped sugrIva to find shelter against vAlI’s tyranny in the mount RshyamUka.
The diligent sugrIva cautioned rAma against the might of vAlI and expressed apprehension if rAma was capable of matching vAli’s might. As a means of aestimating rAma’s strength, he asked rAma to cast away the skeleton of dundubhI who was slain long ago by vAlI for a distance of a hundred bow lengths. rAma, just with his toes cast it away a hundred yOjanas! sugrIva was not convinced yet as the corpse was fleshy and fresh when vAlI threw it away and now it was a skeleton. Hence it was not possible to estimate the relative strength of rAma with respect to vAlI. So rAma offered himself for any other test. Then sugrIva pointed to the seven sAl trees that vAlI used to shake and make it leafless and requested rAma to hit one of those with his bow and arrow. Onwards…
Upon listening the meaningful words of sugrIva, the effulgent rAma who respected everyone’s dignity, in order to win his confidence, picked up his mighty bow and a single arrow and taking aim at the seven sAl trees, he unleashed that arrow as the twang of the chord of the bow reverberated in all quarters. The golden arrow released with quite a might by rAma, pierced through seven sAl trees, went ahead hit the hills and with great speed entered the nether worlds and within a moment emerged from there, came back and was restored in its own quiver! The best of vAnaras beheld the seven sAl trees shattered thus and was totally astounded at the speed of rAma’s arrow. He was completely floored and in utter delight, joined his palms and at once fell at the feet of rAma in prostration and as he did so, his ornamental garlands hung down!
स विसृष्टो बलवता बाणस्स्वर्णपरिष्कृतः।
भित्त्वा सालान् गिरिप्रस्थं सप्त भूमिं विवेश ह4.12.3।।
प्रविष्टश्च मुहूर्तेन धरां भित्त्वा महाजवः।
निष्पत्य च पुनस्तूर्णं स्वतूणीं प्रविवेश ह4.12.4।।
स मूर्ध्ना न्यपतद्भूमौ प्रलम्बीकृतभूषणः।
सुग्रीवः परमप्रीतो राघवाय कृताञ्जलिः4.12.6।।
Expressing utmost joy at this peerless act of valour, sugrIva eulogized the best, expert in weaponry and excellent warrior rAma and said –
“O best among men, O lord, with your arrows, you are capable of vanquishing the gods and their lord indra in battle, then what to talk of vAlI! The way your single arrow pierced through and shattered the seven sAl trees, the hill and the earth, just who can face you in the battle!! Today my sorrow has left me and I have been blessed with great joy having secured you who are equivalent to indra and varuNa in prowess as my well wisher. Right away, today, please vanquish my enemy vAlI masquerading as my brother, I beseech you with folded hands”.
Having heard these words, rAma embraced the pleasant sugrIva and with lakshmaNa in the earshot, the wise rAma said –
“Yes, let’s head for kishkindhA right from here. You lead the way and we shall follow. You go and challenge your so called brother vAlI for a combat”.
They all headed to kishkindhA, the city of vAlI and hid behind the trees in the thick forest. Then sugrIva, tied up his waist cloth and let out a loud war cry that pierced through the skies and challenged vAlI for a combat.
तं श्रुत्वा निनदं भ्रातुः क्रुद्धो वाली महाबलः ।
निश्चक्राम सुसंरब्धो भास्करोऽस्ततटादिव ॥
Upon listening the war cry of his brother, vAlI was enraged at once and in a haste, as if the setting Sun was coming back, headed to sugrIva at once. Then a great combat ensued between the brother vAlI and sugrIva who unleashed on each other thunderous blows with their fists and heels as if the planets mars and mercury were locked in a fight.
ततो रामो धनुष्पाणिस्तावुभौ समुदैक्षत।
अन्योन्यसदृशौ वीरावुभौ देवाविवाश्विनौ4.12.19।।
As the battle raged on, rAma beheld the two brothers who looked every bit the same like the twin gods aSwinIkumAras. He could not identify as to who was who and decided not to unleash the arrow. Meanwhile, sugrIva soundly thrashed by vAlI didn’t find rAma anywhere and broken, he ran away to the forests of RshyamUka, tired, badly beaten, bleeding and seething with anger. vAlI gave the chase but as sugrIva entered the RshyamUka, fearing his own life due to the curse, vAlI stayed back and announcing that sugrIva was spared, he went back to kishkindhA.
Soon, rAma, lakshmaNa and hanumAn came back to the same forest where sugrIva was. Sensing that rAma was there, sugrIva, smarting from the insult of getting thrashed by vAlI, without looking rAma in the eye and instead seeing the ground said –
तं समीक्ष्यागतं रामं सुग्रीवस्सहलक्ष्मणम्।
ह्रीमान्दीनमुवाचेदं वसुधामवलोकयन्4.12.25।।
“Having demonstrated your prowess and encouraging me to challenge vAlI, you got me beaten by the enemy. What is this that you have done! You should have told me clearly earlier itself, O rAma, that you would not kill vAlI, then I would not even have gone from here”.
Responding to the tearful, sad and pitiable words of sugrIva, rAma said –
“O sugrIva, please remove this anger and listen to me as to why I didn’t release the arrow.
अलङ्कारेण वेषेण प्रमाणेन गतेन च।
त्वं च सुग्रीव वाली च सदृशौ स्थः परस्परम्4.12.30।।
स्वरेण वर्चसा चैव प्रेक्षितेन च वानर।
विक्रमेण च वाक्यैश्च व्यक्तिं वां नोपलक्षये4.12.31।।
O sugrIva, you and vAlI are identical to each other in your physique, clothing, appearance, effulgence, looks, valour and voice. I found no difference among you in any of these. Confused by such great similarity among you, I didn’t release the unerring and swift arrow of mine which could be fatal. That would have hit at the root of both our interests. It would have been childish to release the arrow under such ignorance and that would have been a very foolish thing to do.
त्वयि वीरे विपन्ने हि अज्ञानाल्लाघवान्मया।
मौढ्यं च मम बाल्यं च ख्यापितं स्यात्कपीश्वर4.12.34।।
दत्ताभयवधो नाम पातकं महदुच्यते।
अहं च लक्ष्मणश्चैव सीता च वरवर्णिनी4.12.35।।
त्वदधीना वयं सर्वे वनेऽस्मिन् शरणं भवान्।
It is the greatest of sins to have assured protection to someone and then going on to kill them. lakshmaNa, dear sItA and I are under your shelter in this forest you are our refuge.
Therefore, O vAnara, go and invite vAlI for a duel again and fight, do not doubt my intention. Just with one arrow, vAlI shall be felled on the earth. Please wear an identification mark by which I can recognize you in the middle of the duel.
O lakshmaNa, this creeper gajapushpI is in full bloom, please take this creeper and garland the great sugrIva”.
गजपुष्पीमिमां फुल्लामुत्पाट्य शुभलक्षणाम्।
कुरु लक्ष्मण कण्ठेऽस्य सुग्रीवस्य महात्मनः।।4.12.39।।
lakshmaNa immediately fetched the creeper and put it round the neck of sugrIva. sugrIva shone forth with that garland round his neck like a cloud at sun set garlanded by a flock of cranes!
स तया शुशुभे श्रीमान् लतया कण्ठसक्तया।
मालयेव बलाकानां ससन्ध्य इव तोयदः4.12.41।।
In accordance with rAma’s words, sugrIva with his radiant body left with rAma again for kishkindhA which was ruled by vAlI.
Here we conclude the twelfth sarga of the kishkindhA kAnDam of SrImath vAlmiKi rAmAyaNam and humbly offer it at the lotus feet of SrIrAma. Hari: Om!
jAi SrIrAma.
Click on the above link for word by word meaning from IITK website
Click on the above link to listen to the audio by SrIrAma ghanApATi
Next: 4.13. To kishkindhA, one more time
Previous: 4.11. rAma offers himself for a test!
rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 
